This is a Christian blog dealing with various issues. “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” -Charles Spurgeon. Scripture is my authority for all things regarding to life and godliness. 2 Cor. 10: 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

"How few, how very few acknowledge the hand of God in the present conflict of the nations. And let it be affirmed that the Lord is dealing with us in judgment for our sins, and even the majority of professing Christians are angered by such a declaration. But read through the Scriptures and observe how frequently it is there said, the Lord “stirred” up the spirit of a certain king to do this, “moved” him to do that, or “withheld” him from doing the other."~Arthur Pink, "The Life of Elijah"

If you believe in voting in a "lesser evil" leader, stating that we aren't after all, voting for a pastor, then you cannot except such a man to stand for righteousness. You cannot expect him to care about Christian at all, either here or abroad. To expect righteous indignation from an unrighteous man is insane.

Friday, June 26, 2015

We have a split-personality, self-contradicting SCOTUS. Scripture states that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Yup. By the way, civilly, this was yet another attack on States Rights. However, as Christians, we keep our eyes on the things Above. I'm just noting how our SCOTUS is actually anti-law, humanly speaking:

Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented, and all wrote separate dissents.

Alito wrote, “Today’s decision usurps the constitutional right of the people to decide whether to keep or alter the traditional understanding of marriage.”

“If you are among the many Americans—of whatever sexual orientation—who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today’s decision. Celebrate the achievement of a desired goal. Celebrate the opportunity for a new expression of commitment to a partner. Celebrate the availability of new benefits. But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it,” Roberts wrote.

In their manuscript, After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's (1989, Doubleday/Bantam), Harvard educated marketing experts Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen meticulously laid out the homosexual lobby's blueprint for success in what is widely regarded as the handbook for the "gay" agenda.

They devised a three-pronged approach that the homosexual lobby has masterfully implemented in subsequent years: Desensitization, Jamming and Conversion.

Even Alito's remarks are self-contradictory, double minded. An attack on States Sovereignty and something unConstitutional and evil should NEVER be celebrated.

You can't have a one-world government as we see in Revelation, without removing State Sovereignty in the US as well as individual freedom. So I see this as part of the domino affect, the End of which is not far off.

What SCOTUS did today will also include pedophilia. Stand by. As the attitude and argumentation is toward sodomy, so will be the attitude toward pedophilia.

Rom 1:28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.Rom 1:29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, Rom 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, Rom 1:31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Rom 1:32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

What happens when your child has a transgender teacher? Will that be enough to pull your kids from public school? When is enough, enough?I fear that "Christians" have become the frog in the pot of water that is now a rolling boil. They are so accustomed to the heinous wickedness of this world, that they don't worry about how it will affect their children (which in turn reflects every church they are involved in). The justification of "we have Christians in our school so it's not THAT bad" will be the continued excuse, I suspect. But my point is, it not only is "that bad", but no public school is safe. The culture AND the law are now working actively against biblical Truth in a myriad of ways. When will professing Christians have enough of the demonic doctrines and display of unnatural wickedness to finally say "this is TOO much, we're out of here"?

Monday, June 22, 2015

This heinous slaughter at the church in Charleston underscores the question from the Prophet Jeremiah: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The whole world is reeling from the evil done. Fortunately, God answers the question that all of us have asked about the human heart. “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10).

Maybe, just maybe our country’s leaders will wake up to the reality of evil and start sentencing the perpetrators rather than finding excuses for them. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

Going through Ephesians 4 at church, especially the passage below, it really hit me how hostile and antithetical the unbeliever's thinking and living is to that of the believer, the one who is in Christ Jesus. It is no wonder that psychology cannot ever be married to Scripture; the world to Christ; darkness to light; truth to error; sin to righteousness.

2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

2Co 6:15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

2Co 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

2Co 6:17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,

Here's what I observed in Eph. 4:

Eph 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed
to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human
cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Eph 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the
head, into Christ,

Eph 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and held
together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working
properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Eph 4:17 Now
this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the
Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

Eph 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding,
alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to
their hardness of heart.

Eph 4:19 They have become callous and have given
themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Eph 4:20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—

Eph 4:21 assuming that you have heard about him and
were taught in him, as the truth is in
Jesus,

Eph 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to
your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,

Eph 4:23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your
minds,

Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created after the
likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness.

Eph 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let
each one of you speak the truth with
his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Eph 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love

“speaking” alētheuō

al-ayth-yoo'-o

From G227;
to be true (in doctrine and profession): - speak (tell) the truth

The issue is
truth, as that is the reoccurring theme in Eph. 4. We are to be true or
faithful in doctrine, to the “one faith” of our “one Lord”, versus being like
children tossed around by every wind of doctrine and therefore speaking
falsehoods—that which is not true, that which is opposed to Christ—that is,
that which is according to the futile thinking of unbelievers. Those saved are
given a love for the truth and walk in the truth (2Thes2:10, 2 John 1:4; 3John
3-4).

Holding on to the truth in love that is in Jesus teaches us:

To put off the old self. There is nothing good in it. It belongs to
our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.

The Truth that is in Jesus also teaches us to put on the new self,
which is CREATED after the likeness of God and is in TRUE righteousness and
holiness.

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let everyone speak the TRUTH to
his neighbor

This falsehood:

Is futile thinking

Is the way of unbelievers

Is according to the manner of old self

Includes false doctrines including about salvation and sanctification –how
to live and how NOT to live.

Eph 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your
mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it
may give grace to those who hear.

Is in darkness and therefore has NO LIGHT to shed that can instruct us
on how to live righteous and holy lives in TRUTH.

It cannot build us up—that is, grow in Christ

It is not fitting for any occasion

It cannot give grace to the hearer because it is not from Christ

It is of total ignorance

Of darkness

From callous and hard hearts

Of all kinds of impurity

Of deceitful desires

Rom
12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what
is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Col 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being
knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of
understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge.4I say this in order that no
one may delude you with plausible arguments.

Psychology cannot shed any light on how to walk according to the
TRUTH. Truth is the reality as God has set forth in Scripture—the way things
are according to God, who is omniscient and owner of all this Creation, the God
of Truth.

There is no excuse or justification for sin, whether stealing, false
worldly doctrines, or selfish anger in Eph. 4. It states that such things are
of the old self which is corrupt. It is not created in Christ therefore it is
not righteous nor holy nor of the Truth. It is hostile and opposed to all
things of Christ, to all Scripture, to all commands.

There is no “understanding” of how hard life is, there is no lowering
the standard since we’re all imperfect. Paul doesn't go into how "hard" it is to live for Christ because after all, "we're only human" or "Who's perfect?".

Rather, it is because of that sinful nature that these things need to be taught to us and constantly
brought to mind. God simply says STOP SINNING. Period. Stop stealing, stop
lying, stop with unrighteous anger, stop with false doctrine, stop with
deceitful desires. Put it off and instead put on the New Self, CREATED in God,
in righteousness, in holiness and in TRUTH. Get an honest job so you can
provide not only for you and your family but for those in need, tell the truth,
stop with the foul mouth. He goes on to say: stop with all your bitterness. You
have no right to it. None. No right to steal, no justification. No right to
cuss, swear, or spread false doctrine. You are not ignorant of the Truth IF you
were taught the biblical Jesus and the Gospel. Stop with your slander, clamor and malice and anger. You have no right to those either.

Sin is not your right as a fallen man who claims Christ.

You are not a victim to your sin.

You are not a slave to your sin.

Righteousness and holiness in truth is the command of every Christian.

Sanctification therefore, can ONLY be done by the Truth: the Word of
Truth (John 17:17) and IN Jesus (Eph. 4:21).

To borrow from the false doctrines
of the world, to use the thinking of the unbelievers is to go what is dark,
ignorant, callous, futile thinking and has as its actions and fruit:
sensuality, greed to practice every kind of impurity, and hardens hearts, is strictly sinful and prohibited by God. There is nothing that the world can add or benefit the Christian in his or her walk with Christ--which aim is to be like Christ and glorify Him Eph. 1-2).

The only way to deal with your sin and to increasingly stop sinning is by being IN Christ, and being powered by the Holy Spirit through the Word:

Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

Eph 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might

Eph 1:20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

Eph 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Eph 1:22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Consult the doctrinal statement of 100 churches in America. You’ll probably find this phrase, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” What about the doctrine of creation? Is it essential or non-essential? According to John MacArthur, divine creation is one of the primary doctrines of the Bible.

When considering what church to attend, or college to send your children to, the doctrine of creation becomes vitally important because it’s the foundation of a Christian worldview.

Therefore, the old-earth creationists' method of interpreting the Genesis text actually undermines the historicity of Adam. Having already decided to treat the creation account itself as myth or allegory, they have no grounds to insist (suddenly and arbitrarily, it seems) that the creation of Adam is literal history. Their belief in a historical Adam is simply inconsistent with their own exegesis of the rest of the text.

What "old-earth creationists" (including, to a large degree, even the evangelical ones) are doing with Genesis 1-3 is precisely what religious liberals have always done with all of Scripture—spiritualizing and reinterpreting the text allegorically to make it mean what they want it to mean. It is a dangerous way to handle Scripture. And it involves a perilous and unnecessary capitulation to the religious presuppositions of naturalism—not to mention a serious dishonor to God.

Evangelicals who accept an old-earth interpretation of Genesis have embraced a hermeneutic that is hostile to a high view of Scripture. They are bringing to the opening chapters of Scripture a method of biblical interpretation that has built-in anti-evangelical presuppositions. Those who adopt this approach have already embarked on a process that invariably overthrows faith. Churches and colleges that embrace this view will not remain evangelical long.

I would suggest that they aren't evangelical at all. They are attacking God and His Word just as Satan did in the Garden with Eve--and for the SAME THING: knowledge outside of God's Word: "Hath God said?". Their faith MUST be questioned:

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Heb 11:2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

"Keller clarified that "you can believe homosexuality is a sin and still believe that same-sex marriage should be legal."" ~ Huffington Post

“White believes Keller's unique gift is to preach to both Christians and non-Christians in the same terms, without making a choice between evangelism and discipleship: "Tim uses the gospel surgically on the heart. The gospel is what we need to come to faith and also what we need to grow." A theology of grace uses the same language to challenge both the runaway son and the solid older brother.” ~Christianity Today

I call Tim Keller "The Reformed version of Rick Warren" because of Keller's professing of Reformed theology, while in practice and promotion he is man-centered and pushes social justice and contemplative spirituality, just as Warren does.

New Calvinists are generally hyper-gracers similar to OSAS (not to be confused with the biblical doctrine of Eternal Security). They excuse fleshly behavior by claiming “grace” (which is now an idol of most of “Christianity”) or claiming TULIP. Sharing their sin is passed off as humility, but it is actually false humility; it’s really a way to “related” to others and seem humble. Hatred of sin isn’t present; rather, it’s the equalizer that makes everyone the same. Keller is a mix of seek-friendly, Emergent, and Reformed (hence New Calvinist).

We can safely say now that Francis Chan is IHOP/ NAR, just as Matt Chandler is Charismatic and both Emergent, for the same reason: repeatedly speaking at their unholy, anti-Christ conferences and embracing the leaders AS brothers in Christ. Chan defended heretic Bickle before while sharing the pulpit with him, and now joins yet another demonic conference, further digging his heels into the dung of demons.

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.

~ C. H. Spurgeon

True of most churches, especially most megachurches, who invite the world into that which God has set up as a gathering together of His children for worship of Him, participating in the Lord's Table, , giving to His ministry, and ministry of spiritual gifts. Church discipline is to deal with unrepentant sinners, eventually removing those who are not Christ's--what is the world but those who hate Him and are hostile to Him?

Churches take pride in many things:their large membership roll or attendance, the size of their campus, the design of their buildings, their wealth, their music, the social status of their members, the prominence of their pastor, their political clout, their influence in the community, or their zeal for a particular theological cause. Others celebrate their creativity and freedom from traditional modes of worship, trading theology for psychology, choirs and organs for rock bands, and replacing sermons with skits, musicals, and other forms of entertainment in an effort to create an inoffensive, nonthreatening atmosphere for the unbelievers and nominal Christians in their congregations. They have become the model churches many seek to emulate. (For a critique of the contemporary church growth movement, see John MacArthur, Ashamed of the Gospel [Wheaton, Ill.:Crossway, 1993].)
Judged by the superficial standards mentioned above, the Thessalonian church certainly had little to commend it. It had no buildings (the earliest known church building dates from the third century A. D.), programs, performers, or publications. It was not a large or wealthy church (most of the early Christians were from the lower social classes; cf. 1 Cor. 1:26); the congregation lacked social and political influence (Christians were despised outcasts in Roman society); nor did they have a famous pastor (the names of the elders are not even mentioned). They could not offer prospective converts the comfortable, entertaining, non- threatening environment of a modern "user- friendly" church but merely "persecutions and afflictions" (1:4). Yet they were a church to which the apostle Paul could write, "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting…. We ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God" (2 Thess. 1:3- 4). The opening verses of this epistle list several reasons for Paul's grateful boasting about this church.

The blasphemous notion suggested by some that Christians need to forgive God for allowing them to suffer completely misses the point. According to that view, believers suffer because though God is well meaning, He is unable to work out all of life's contingencies. Nothing could be further from the truth. For the reasons noted above, suffering is part of God's wise, loving, perfect, sovereign plan for His children; they "suffer according to the will of God" (1 Peter 4:19). "Consider it all joy, my brethren," wrote James, "when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2- 4). Peter reminded suffering believers, "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10).The Thessalonians' increasing faith in the face of persecution affirmed their genuine conversion.

Persecution strengthens believers' faith by driving them to God. Facing a painful, difficult trial, Paul "implored the Lord three times that it might leave [him]" (2 Cor. 12:8). Trouble, distress, affliction, pain, and suffering drive those with genuine faith to a greater dependence on the Lord. That increases their knowledge of Him, which in turn increases their ability to trust Him. Therefore, the psalmist could confidently declare, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word…. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes…. I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me" (Ps. 119:67, 71, 75).

~MacArthur NT Commentary on 2 Thes. 1

Contrary to the recent call to arms for all to show up to church on Sunday (tomorrow) as a result of the Charlston NC shooting of an AME church that killed nine people, we are NOT call to do so by our Lord and King. We show up to local church that is really HIS church that preaches HIS gospel and feeds HIS sheep. Race and violence are left at the door as distractions literally, of the flesh. We come together to worship our Triune God and minister our gifts to each other. Those in false churches with a false gospel of social justice can ONLY focus on things of the flesh, therefore they have every reason to fear the flesh. Their hope is not in Christ, nor the Word. It's in the flesh and the world, both of which are utter failures and offenses to the thrice Holy One of Israel.

Unlike the call to arms for churches across America for racial issues, true Christians are to count it amazing that they are counted worthy to be persecuted for Christ Jesus, and count it all joy.

Act 5:40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.Act 5:41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.Act 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1Pe 5:9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1Pe 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1Pe 5:11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jas 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, Jas 1:3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Doing religious things when one is scared of an enemy is what Israel was condemned for b/c in their hearts they did not truly believe and submit to God.

Isa 58:2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. Isa 58:3 'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Isa 58:4 Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.

Psychology and guns are NOT the answer. It's running to Egypt b/c they have horses.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Is. 31:13 Woe to those who go down to Egypt and rely on their horses which are man and not spirit, and don’t look to the Holy One of Israel. God will punish the means used b/c not holy but of the flesh.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Text messages sent by the teenage missionary who reportedly admitted to raping children at a Kenyan orphanage surfaced this week revealing his belief that he was possessed by a demon named "Luke" at the time of the offenses.

Evidence brought by the Assistant US Attorney cites text messages from the indicted rapist Matthew Lane Durham, 19, to a friend. Those messages include threats to the Kenyan orphanage founder.

So what makes people think pedophile Jordan Roots at Matt Chandler's "Village Church", didn't attack any of the children over in East Asia while he was a missionary and watching child pornography on his computer?

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Focusing on poverty and sacrificing for the poor are the heart of the Gospel, not signs of communism, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass.Furthermore, if Christians don't dig deep and generously open up their wallets, they do not have "genuine faith," the pope said Tuesday during the Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.But "poverty is precisely at the heart of the Gospel. If we were to remove poverty from the Gospel, people would understand nothing about Jesus' message," he said, according to Vatican Radio.Being fully Christian means being rich in spirit, faith, the Word, wisdom and zeal -- things that Jesus has taught and offered all people, he said.

Focusing on poverty and sacrificing for the poor are the heart of the Gospel, not signs of communism, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass.Make sure, however, that this huge amount of "wealth in the heart" also impacts the wallet, he said, because "when the faith doesn't reach your pockets, it is not a genuine faith."Pope Francis said the "theology of poverty" is based on the fact that Jesus -- in his divine richness -- became poor; he lowered himself and sacrificed himself to save humanity.The beatitude "Blessed are the poor in spirit" means "letting oneself be enriched by the poverty of Christ and not wanting to be rich with those riches that are not from Christ," he said.Christian giving goes beyond plain charity, which is good, but isn't the "Christian poverty" believers are called to embrace, he said. "Christian poverty is: I give to the poor what is mine, not the excess, but also what is necessary" for one's own well-being.

End quote.

It went on to say that giving to the poor enriches us because Jesus said He is in the poor. The ultimate gift, the Pope said, is of giving of himself in the Eucharist as he becomes "bread for us".

At the heart of this is Rome's Liberation Theology, developed by the Jesuits. It's basically social justice. Contrary to Francis' claim, it actually is communistic or at least Marxist.

The RCC has historically been a harsh government of sorts; it is a state religion, dictating to it's citizens how to worship God and what to preach and not preach. They slaughtered myriads of Christians through the centuries. Even The Crusades was Rome's military attempt to take back Jerusalem from the Muslims. The RCC's city, Vatican City, has a seat at the UN as well.

Pastor Peter Naylor, an Old Testament scholar, writes a chapter entitled, “The Church’s Mission: sent to ‘do justice’ in the world?” He examines Generous Justice in order to understand what Keller teaches about the mission of the church....In Generous Justice Keller writes: “Jesus, in his incarnation, ‘moved in’ with the poor … In Proverbs we see God identifying with the poor symbolically. But in the incarnation and death of Jesus we see God identifying with the poor and marginal literally.” Naylor comments: “The Bible does not present the incarnation as moving in with the poor. Christ came into the world to save sinners … When Keller focuses on poverty and injustice, he distorts the incarnation and crucifixion, and takes us away from the purpose of both – which was to save sinners – and leads us into the byway of social transformation. He is leading us to concentrate on the wrong goal.”

End quote.

Sounds very much like what Francis said. He also said, according to the NCR:"When people strip themselves of the material, "Jesus works within" them and they are enriched; when people give to the poor, Jesus is also working in the poor, "in order to enrich me when I do this," the pope said."

End quote.

What Naylor noted regarding Keller in ES Williams' article, should be equally applied to the pope too:

"He approaches the text with a predetermined agenda that distorts his interpretation. For example, his interpretation of Christ’s mission is skewed from the spiritual and eternal plane to the temporal and social plane."

Redistribution of wealth is Marxist and Scripture does not teach that. In fact, it talks about an evil king who did such a thing.

1Th 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

2Th 3:8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

Eph 4:28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Rom 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Mar 14:7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.

1Ti 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Rom 14:12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

And in 1 Samuel 8 we see what a dictatorial marxist king would look like in the person of Saul (yes,even dictating who would have what career--sound like USSR?), as the people rejected God and instead, wanted to be like the word and so demanded a king:

1Sa 8:10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him.

1Sa 8:11 He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.

1Sa 8:12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.

1Sa 8:13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

1Sa 8:14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.

1Sa 8:15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.

1Sa 8:16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

1Sa 8:17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.

1Sa 8:18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."

Rush Limbaugh, as an unregenerate man, saw right through this pope to his Marxism and false gospel:

But it was just yesterday on this program that I, your beloved host, just your average guy on the radio here, suggested that the pope's encyclical on climate change was nothing more than Marxism, nothing more than communism. Well, get this from the National Catholic Reporter. "Pope Francis: Concern for poor is a sign of the gospel. It's not communism." Now, I do not believe that Il Papa nor the Vatican are responding to me. I think they are responding to what they assume a lot of people are going to think about his encyclical.... But I've never heard it put this way. If Christians don't dig deep and generously open their wallets, they do not have genuine faith, and that's in quotes, genuine faith is in quotes. So people's faith in God, religious faith is now, according to the Vicar of Christ, directly related to how wide open their wallets are. Now, wait 'til you hear what opening up your wallet means. And I'm reading here from the National Catholic Reporter.... In other words, you can't just give your disposable income to charity. You have to give money that you yourself actually need, and until you give up what you need for yourself, you are not being charitable. That's what Il Papa is saying. Anybody can give disposable income. That's no big deal. You've gotta give up what you need. In other words, instead of paying the electric bill or buying whatever, that money needs to go to the poor. And if it doesn't, you're not genuine. Your faith isn't genuine.

End quote.

Moreover this obssession with the poor, which is supposed to be some sort of sign of being a REAL Christian, both according to the pope and to Keller, is the sin of favoritism (it also is using a group of people to one's own agenda--a means to an end).

Exo 23:3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his
dispute.

Lev 19:15 "You shall do no injustice in court.You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

The Gospel has absolutely nothing to do with how much you give to the poor. That actually was something the Pharisees did to prove they were more spiritual than everyone else. In fact, they took from giving to aid their parents and gave to God, but Jesus condemned this:

Mat 15:3 He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

Mat 15:4 For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'

Mat 15:5 But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or his mother, "What you would have gained from me is given to God,"

Mat 15:6 he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.

Mat 15:7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

Mat 15:8 "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

Mat 15:9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

The pope is doing nothing different.

Moreover, the Gospel is about the total depravity of Man in sin, under God's righteous wrath, the Person and finished work of Jesus Christ in His life, death, and resurrection, of repentance from sin, turning to from the flesh and turning to Christ Jesus for salvation and justification. The pope has it completely wrong.

In fact, he twists the beatitude about being poor. Scripture says:

Mat 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Poor in spirit", not poor in wealth. This is about those who recognize their spiritual poverty before the thrice Holy One of Israel and their need for forgiveness and salvation----NOT an attempt at buying one's way into Heaven or becoming poor to earn salvation. Let's not forget that this giving away of all your wealth to the poor is nothing more than indulgences and works righteousness, condemned wholly by God.

In dealing with the poor, we should define what "poor" really is biblically speaking. Today's poor in America have cell phones and satellite dishes, even cars, people who are often overweight, too. While we are to give to the poor as God directs (not by our emotions and certainly in wisdom and discernment), the Christian's first priority is to the household of faith:

Gal 6:10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Moreover giving many not always entail money. It may mean something like food during an especially difficult trial, or it may mean extra clothes someone could use. In today's society, with many who lie about being poor (I've seen them well dressed and wearing gold jewelry), those who abuse the system, those who manipulate the emotions of passersby by using their "children" to get more money, those who commit fraud with our welfare system, we should not squander God's money by giving it to them. What they need most is the Gospel. So we need to be very careful in our society.

The most important thing is that as biblical Christians when we do give, we give not in order to gain favor with God, and certainly not to gain salvation, but we give because God has been so kind to us and when He blesses us financially, we want to share that out of love for Him and for others. This is sanctification, but the RCC gain, blends sanctification with salvation, to their doom.

Isn't it interesting that the richest religion in the world which houses multitudes of priceless art work and gold and rubies and silk inside a palace, isn't willing to give it all up to sell and give that money to their poor? Do as the pope says, not as he does is absolute hypocrisy.

Most people have heard of “evolutionary biology.” But the term “evolution” is often applied in a broader sense (gradual, naturalistic changes over long ages) to other fields of study. Some people study geology or astronomy from an evolutionary perspective. But has anyone ever studied “evolutionary mathematics”? What would an evolutionist mathematician study? Can the existence of numbers and mathematical laws be explained by a time-and-chance naturalistic origin?Mathematical laws are invariant; they do not change with time. Just as 2+3=5 today, so it did yesterday, and so it will tomorrow. All mathematical laws are such that they remain the same at all times. They are absolute. It’s not that 2+3 usually equals 5; rather, it always equals 5. There are absolutely no exceptions....

How then do we account for the origin and properties of numbers or the laws of mathematics that describe them? Let’s consider first the naturalistic, or evolutionary, view. In this way of thinking, people attempt to explain the characteristics of a modern object by considering how it gradually evolved over millions or billions of years from something less complex. If we applied this concept to mathematics, we would ask, “From what did numbers evolve? What were numbers before they were numbers? When did the physical universe begin obeying mathematical laws?”

Just take one number as a token case. From what simpler number did the number 7 evolve? Was 7 once 3? Did 3 have to transition through 4, 5, and 6 before it became 7? When did the negative numbers evolve? ...

If these sorts of questions sound silly, it is because they are. The evolution of numbers makes no sense whatsoever. 7 has always been 7, just as 3 has always been 3. Likewise, the expression 2+3=5 was as true at the beginning of time as it is today. Mathematical laws and the numbers they govern are invariant—they do not change with time and, therefore, cannot have evolved from anything!

The secularist is truly stuck when it comes to mathematics. He knows that mathematical truths existed before human beings discovered them....

About Me

My name is Denise. I grew up in the Charismatic movement, but God delivered me out of it, and I thank Him for that. My heart is to show other believers the error of various movements(WOF, NAR, Seeker Friendly, Reformed theology/New Calvinism).I want to help them find truth through Scripture. I love the Word of God and hold it dear to my heart. It is the standard by which I filter everything, including doctrine & politics, including my own thoughts and actions. Ps 138:2
There is One God, and within the One God there are three distinct, co-equal and co-eternal persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit(1Peter 1:2; Matt. 28:19; Matt. 3:16-17; John 14:16-17). Literal 6 day Creation is Truth.Scripture is infallible, inerrant, & God-breathed (2Tim. 3:16, Heb.4:12, Ps. 19 & 119). Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone apart from any works (baptism, prayers, walking an aisle, etc.) so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8-10). God is totally Sovereign in ALL things (Ps 33). I do mean ALL. Man is responsible for his sin. God is responsible for saving the elect through HIS means.